Purls and Pugs

I'm so close I can taste it...

I am so close to finishing the Chic Basic Hoodie. In fact, I only have a few more stitches left to bind off. I'm so excited to be done. Then I can go ahead and finish up the Something Black. I've tried this multiple projects at once thing, and it's not working out quite the way I was hoping it would. I still end up focusing on one project over another anyway. Well, you can't say I didn't try, right?

Yoda and BFF were having some fun camera time while they were waiting for me to get home from work the other night. I think Yoda is sending the "don't mess with me" vibe. Don't ya think?

I also want to thank everyone for the great virtual hugs and sentiments about my grandmother. It really is appreciated!!

Chic Hoodie Update

I think I have second sleeve syndrome. I hate finishing sleeves, but yet, I love long sleeves. Ironic, I know. But I've been plugging away on the Chic Basic Hoodie, and I hope to be finished with it completely by the weekend. I just need to get me some buttons, a half a sleeve, and I'll be done. Now that I'm moving along on the second sleeve, it's really not that bad, but getting enthusiastic about it was a chore.

I think the winter weather is slowing everyone down just a bit...Today I was looking out the window at work wondering what happened to the city. It looked as if someone erased it! Who can really manage energy in that kind of weather?

Yoda really has not been excited about anything but her new bone!

MIA

Sorry for being MIA this last week everyone, but it's been a strange time. I found out on Wednesday that my grandmother died while out with her senior friends seeing Wicked. It was a shock to everyone since she's been doing well and it was so sudden. So, I've been busy with family things and such.

I did managed to do the Sears Tower Climb on Sunday morning. My time wasn't fantastic, but I finished and that was my goal. Here is a picture of our team from the bank.  I raised $385 to donate to cancer research, so it was for a good cause!

I'm not sure I'll ever climb those stairs ever again, but it was a good experience. I was impressed by all the firemen wearing full gear and doing it. I want to move to those towns!

I do have some knitting updates, like I'm almost done with the Basic Cardi, but those will have to wait for another day....hopefully tomorrow!

It's your duty!

Today is election day in the United States, and, really, it's our duty to go out and vote for our next president, senators, representatives, coroners, judges, constitutional conventions and so on. I've had quite a few people in my life in the military fighting for and protecting my freedom, and I feel I owe it to them to go and vote. To exercise that one little thing I can do to say "thank you" for all you do, and I really do appreciate the freedoms you've afforded me.

That being said, go vote, get a free Starbucks tall coffee, Krispy Cream star shaped donut, and some Ben and Jerry's ice Cream!

It was a vampire kind of night...

I am so sure you are all waiting with baited breath to see what I was for Halloween, so without further ado...drum roll, please! Selene from the movie Underworld. You would think it would be easy to put together a replica of a skin tight catsuit, corset wearing, gun-toting character from a movie. Well, folks, it's really wasn't. The night before Halloween I was sewing my own leg holsters all from items bought at Home Depot. But somehow I think I managed to pull it off, no?

I guess I went with this costume because, well, the obvious vampire thing, but also because she's a strong woman character. Whose gonna mess with someone that looks like that?!

So, because I was so set on going vampire, BFF went vampire, but more classical. No guns or tight leather outfits for him. And he went more traditional on the makeup. I just went as pale as I could without using crazy white grease makeup. Not too bad. The one tip I do have for anyone thinking about being a vampire at any Halloween is get the $15 fangs. They are so worth the extra $10 in that you mold them to your own teeth, so you can pop them in and out at will and they go back in! BFF went cheap and didn't have as good of luck with his fangs.

We partied in the city first at JBar and then Excalibur. Excalibur may be considered a tourist trap by city dwellers, but it was a blast! I met Heath Ledger as the Joker, Hellboy, Jigsaw, The Creature from the Black Lagoon (I think), and many other ghosts and ghouls. And did you know it's haunted?

Maybe next year I'll go simple and be a sexy nurse or policewoman...nah!

 

Trick or Treat

I know, I know! I'm a little bit of a slacker this week...I've been busy getting ready for the best Halloween EVER! I've been putting my costume together and getting everything ready for the big night. Unfortunately, for the little kiddies in my neighborhood, Yoda is not getting dressed up and handing out candy. They get to enjoy that in years that Halloween falls not on a weekend! Tonight I'm a partying fool, er, vampire! Of course pictures to come of the costume...

I have been knitting, though, friends. I don't have pictures, though. All you get is the Ghosty. I've completed a couple washcloths for my cousin whose gonna let Yodster out tomorrow morning, almost finished another part of the Christmas Sets, and almost have a sleeve done on the Chic Hoodie. I say that's pretty good for a week's progress, no?

Have fun tonight everyone and stay safe!

Help?! Anyone?

So, I've become obsessed with a pattern on Ravelry - Gedifra Highlights 033 Model 509. Um, yeah, I want to make that. Here is the problem: the pattern book is not available ANYWHERE that I have been able to find. I can't even find the official picture to use in this post!  I've Googled, Yahoo!ed, stalked online yarn retailers...I've even poured over every cable collection I have at home looking for the two cables so I could do it myself. I've not figured out which cables are used...sigh.

So, here is my plea--if someone has this pattern, please, please, please let me borrow it or buy it off you. I just want the cable chart. Or if you know where I can get it, send that info my way. I'm begging, and boy it's not pretty.

Scrub a dub dub

My grandma puts on a craft show every year at her church. This year my cousin saw some knitted dish clothes and asked me if I could make her some. Since she's going to be helping me out with Yoda a little later in the year, I figured it's a good trade-off.

I asked her what colors I should use, and she didn't care, so I picked up a few colors when on a little gift yarn shopping spree. I decided that Hot Green, Swimming Pool, and White would be good for a couple different combinations. They are fun and happy colors, no?

What are your favorite dish cloth patterns?

 

I said I would never do it again...

...but I'm about to make some Christmas gifts. Oh, dear. I've decided to make some Irish Hiking Sets--scarf and hats. I decided to use some Lion Brand WoolEase so that they can be washed no problems. I know, I know, I can hear all you yarn snobs. But this stuff does have it's place in knitting life. It does.

So, anyway, here is hat #1. I'm hoping that I can speed through the hats and then get on to the scarves. I'm going to be very cryptic just so that those who this gift is for are still surprised if they read the blog! :-)

My right hand is a little frozen

It's getting to be that time of year. You know, when it's getting cooler, but you don't want to turn on the heat. So, you put on another sweater, blanket, and some socks. But what about the hands? I have some Fetching Gloves somewhere, but looking for them would take away from knitting or blogging time, and we can't have that, can we?

So, I've been trying to keep my hands moving to stay warm. The Chic Hoodie is moving along quite well. I am working on sleeve #1 after completing the body and pocket linings. I'm hoping that I can get this done rather quickly...I can't wait to wear it. But isn't that the case with everything I make?

I mentioned before that I wasn't sure what I was going to do about the sleeves, but I've decided that I am not going to do the lace down the sleeve. I've also been thinking that I can make this again, and put a cable down each side instead of lace....hmmmm......